Tunisian defender Yan Valery has revealed that the Carthage Eagles’ defeat to Nigeria’s Super Eagles in their second Group C match of the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations was down to showing the Nigerians too much respect, particularly in the first half.
The Super Eagles sealed qualification for the round of 16 after edging Tunisia 3–2 on Saturday at the Fez Stadium in Morocco. Nigeria raced into a commanding 3–0 lead within 67 minutes, with goals from Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman.
What initially looked like a comfortable victory turned tense late on, as Tunisia pulled two goals back in the 74th and 87th minutes. However, Nigeria held firm to secure the win.
The victory means the Super Eagles have now recorded two wins from their opening two Group C matches and are through to the knockout stage. They will need at least a point in their final group game against Uganda on Tuesday, December 30, to finish top of the table.
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Speaking after the match, Valery, who plays for English Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, admitted Tunisia’s cautious approach proved costly.
“We had too much respect for Nigeria in the first half,” Valery told reporters. “We needed to be more aggressive, win more duels. We let them play a bit too much and grow in confidence. Now we have to learn from our mistakes ahead of the next game.”
The 26-year-old dismissed suggestions that Tunisia’s defence was unsettled by Nigeria’s star-studded attack, which includes 2024 African Footballer of the Year Ademola Lookman and 2023 winner Victor Osimhen.
“We were not distracted by Nigeria’s big players,” Valery said with a laugh. “We also have big players in our team who have played against top opponents. It’s not one player that makes us shaky. Like I said, we showed in the second half that against any team we can play and hurt them – now we have to do it for 90 minutes.”
Despite the disappointment of the result, Valery insists Tunisia are focused on responding positively in their remaining matches.
“We’re frustrated because we know we could have done better,” he added. “The result hurts, but it’s in the past now. We have to react and show it in the next game and throughout the competition.”
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